ENG 204-002

I have witnessed the different types of roles people take during groupwork, but I don't believe that I have personally taken on one of those personas. When I am involved in groupwork I tend to try and take over the assignment. I guess, in a way I am like the Martyr, but not exactly in the same way as the article describes. I am not one to make people feel guilty for not doing their work, I just want the work to get done. If it means I am the one completing the assignment, then that is the way it has to be. I will take on more than others because I have a fear of people failing to do their part of the project and showing up the day it is due with nothing.

I am definitely predisposed to being the Martyr, but I don't see myself becoming any of the other personalities listed. I have a tendency to be a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to group work and people following through with their promises. As I mentioned before, I try and take as much of the responsibilties that I can, so that I can hopefully avoid receiving a low grade. It became very clear in high school that I was like this because in all of the assignments that were given as group work I took the lead. I told people what they needed to do, I was the one people came to if they had questions, or if they needed help with anything.

For this group work I am going to try and not be so controlling because I have a feeling people don't really enjoy being told what to do. Other than that, I don't think that my part in the group will be disruptive whatsoever.

A positive role that I can hopefully take on during groupwork, is someone that is flexible and helpful. I can be the person that can switch around meeting dates or even assignments if needed. I would like to be approachable for people in the group if there are questions that I could answer. I also want everyone to be able to decide the parts of the project they want to participate in and not assign them something they don't necessarily want.

Just last semester I was involved in a group project for a nursing class. The instructor assigned each student to a group. We were given a topic, a detailed list of expectations, and a preview of the previous class's attempts. Unfortunately, the assignment was given out in detail the Friday before spring break, which was an optional attendance day. Since our class only met once every two weeks, it was difficult to get all five group members on board. When we did meet, only three members were present. Two of those present derided the absence of the other two and little was accopmplished. At our second meeting, four showed up and we divided up our responsibilities for the project and set deadlines for their completion. Ultimately, only two of us ended up contributing the kind of quality work we expected would earn the group an A. I realize in myself that I can be a bully, but not so much as just purpose and goal driven. I historically do not have a high opinion of group work because of myriad disappointments through the years. So, I suppose I tend to direct more in an effort to ameliorate the possibility of wasted time due to socializing or sheer inertia. I also think that if you meet as a group, decisions ought to be made--not postponed.
The article by Sutton and Jalajas reveals in descriptive fashion some of the lesser charactersitics of groups members. What is instructive in their article is how to avoid from the outset the types of problems that can plague groups. To keep from poaching on others' parts of the project or to keep from dominating, it would be helpful for me if my group decided its individual responsibilities early on and set firm early deadlines to account for the unexpected. Additionally, I could learn from others who are more technologically sophisticated than I am. Identifying certain negative aspects in ourselves is useful, and the preventive measures listed in the article provide a meaningful framework in understanding group dynamics.

Both inside and outside of school, I remain confident in my vision, ideas, and work. I work hard in what I do and always give 110 percent; and the end results are always great. Because of my work ethic I can sometime become the bully. Sad, I know! I don't do it often and usually become the leader which i guess is just a more positive bully. Once again, just because I work hard I can be a bit of a martyr. This is usually rare and it's only a feeling or thought I have only for a split second. To make sure that I don't take on a disruptive role in my group I will STAY FOCUSED and handle only what is to be discussed when meeting together. Although this article speaks only of negative roles in a group, I believe that e positive roles can outweigh the bad! In a group I would try to take on a positive role such as THE MEDIATOR. I would make sure that everyone is on one accord and happy, for the most part. I think another good role would be THE VISIONARY. I would just be creative and come up with ideas. Like the mediator I would come up with ideas that best fit everyone!

I have defiantly had my share of group work, because I am Communications major, Journalism minor. Most of my classes have at one point assigned a group project. I could not identify any time that I have taken on one or more the roles described in the article. Each role was such a stretch to me that it was hard to identify myself in them. But if I had to choose a role that I might be predisposed toward, it might be “The Bully.” And the only reason I say that is because I identified with one of the lines in the reading that defined “The Bully,” by saying that “The Bully isn’t shy about letting people know how things should be done.” I am the oldest child in my family, and I am used to being a type of leader so I often speak my mind.

I have had a lot of practice being in groups, so I speak my mind, but I also want to hear the thoughts of everyone in the group. There is a way to speak your mind without being aggressive. For example if no one in the group is stepping up to the plate to start the brainstorming process, I would start the discussion with my ideas and then open the floor up to the entire group for their opinion and ideas. My ideas are not always the ones that are chosen, but sometimes it just takes one person to get the discussion going and then others will be more open to talk.

A positive group member role that I will try to adopt will be to have an open mind. It is called a group project for a reason because two minds are better than one. So being open to others thoughts and creativity really helps a group to function.

I have definitely had to do a lot of group work in high school and college. Almost every class has had one component that incorporated group elements. However, after reading through the roles, I didn’t think that any of them fit me personally about what my role is in group work. They all seemed to be really extreme personalities and I couldn’t find one that suited me exactly. If I had to pick one I would say the Saboteur because I tend to over think everything and overwhelm myself, but most of the description doesn’t really fit how I would act in a group.

I think the most important thing when doing group work is just to be open to listening to everyone’s ideas and working together to get the best outcome. There is a way to communicate that is respectful and productive, instead of just dismissing someone’s ideas. Once you have an open flow of ideas, you are more likely to find a better solution to the task at hand.

I think I would just be open to hearing opinions that are different than mine. I wouldn’t put anyone’s ideas down and I would make sure that I was on top of my work so that the group wouldn’t fall behind on my account.

I have had plenty of experience working in groups in high school and college, but by far the most unproductive group I was a part of was in a film production class I took last semester. The first day of class we broke up into groups of five, which we would have to remain in for the rest of the year. Our group ended up being three guys (we all got along great and became good friends) and two girls who were on a completely different page. Unfortunately, I think one of my other male group members and I took on the bully role out of necessity because nothing ever got done when we tried to act as a group. The two girls did not seem to want to partake in any of our ideas, yet frustratingly never came up with or attempted any ideas of their own. We had to step up as leaders, and sometimes that involved imposing our ideas simply so that something would get done rather than nothing at all.

In the past, I have never been a bully in a group before, and hopefully the need will not arise in the future for that to happen again. It is much more productive when everyone works together in a group, and equally contribute, even if not every one agrees. As long as everyone works hard, good things will get accomplished.

If my group needs one, I will adopt the role of a leader. The article does not address any good qualities of group members, but rather focuses on negative ones. While sometimes a leader could become a bully, I think leadership is extremely important in any group, unless everyone can really get along well and has similar ideas. I think a good leader is someone who helps organizes everyone’s thoughts and makes sure as many people are happy as possible, similar to a representative in a republican democracy. A leader is not a dictator, but someone who can look out for the well being of the group as a whole, taking into account each individual’s considerations and synthesizing them into a cohesive whole.

After being accepted to work as a member of Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue this summer we entered into a two week in house training period. The climax of these two weeks was at the end with a five hour long graduation course. We were divided up into groups of five and around six or so miles into the course, I assumed the role of the Martyr. I was positive that I had been put with the “dumbest group members,” and in this instance, the least physically inclined. I constantly felt the burden of dragging along the physically incapable as the contest of the course slipped further and further away.

Upon being split up into our groups for the next project, I will merely make sure of two things. First, that the directions and expectations of each group member is clearly defined and explained so as to make no room for miscommunications. Second, I will ensure that the group is open to discussions about responsibilities of group members and that problems of the group are to be confronted by the group and solved in the group.

A positive role that I can think of is obviously the leader. Someone who isn’t selected to delegate the tasks of the group. Just someone who seems to have a natural ability or rather mental understanding of what is expected of the groups and knows best how to divide it amongst members.

At this point in all of our collegiate careers, it is almost impossible for any student to not have taken part in at least a handful of group projects. I, personally, have been involved in a plethora of group projects, and I personally enjoy these projects more than individual assignments. I have a tendency to take group projects as a challenge, and an opportunity for the final product to be produced from a wider of intellectual depth.

Of course, it is inevitable to have been guilty of at least one of these pitfalls of a group. I remember back when I took COM 104. At the end of the semester, we had an assignment in which we needed to gather into groups of four or five and write a critique of any famous speech of our choice. On the surface, it seemed to be a fairly simple project; because there were so many people, there was no way that it could be that difficult or much of a workload at all. With the number of group members, it was also inevitable that there would be a deadbeat, a whiner (as a result of the deadbeat), a bully, and a martyr. The deadbeat caused complications right away. This person wouldn't respond to anyone's calls, and when we got up with him, he informed us that he wouldn't be able to do much with the project because of something he had planned previously.

This of course spawned the bully into a rage, and the bully proceeded to speak about how they would have to be the one to do all the work. In the midst of all this rage and conflict, which snowballed into getting pretty intense, I managed to become the martyr, informing the group that I would tackle the task of doing the critique, and letting everyone else go about their business. Upon the due date, I did not tell the instructor of any wrongdoings or any conflict. I turned in the paper humbly, with my head down, returned to my seat, and that was the end of the worst project of my life.

With this experience, I plan to adopt the role of the mediator in my group. I feel like if there is a person to attempt to make assignments for the process of the project in the group in which everyone agrees on, the project will flow much smoother, and more successful work can be accomplished.

Throughout my life in both school and work I have been involved in group projects where I have witnessed the majority of these roles described in the article. There has been numerous cases where there has been a deadbeat in my group who would rather wander the halls or stare at the wall than help out. I would not say I take on any of the specific roles, but if I had to choose one that I am predisposed toward it would probably be the martyr. I would not intentionally make any group member feel guilty that they are not contributing, but I have found that I tend to just go off and work on my own during group projects. I also like to get things done when I am working on them and not sit and gossip; so there has likely been instances when I have done more work or have hindered my group because I am not actively participating with them.

To ensure I do not disrupt my group in any way I will make sure that I am actively participating with the whole group and listening to each of their viewpoints and not just silently working on my own. This will ensure that everyone participates equally and the project will be accomplished efficiently. Leadership is a positive group member role that is critical to having a successful group. In many instances, everyone in the group sits around and new ideas and thoughts are not introduced. By having some degree of leadership it would ensure that topics are properly discussed and the group efficiently completes the project.

In my collegiate career I have been involved in group work only two are three times. I have tried to work as efficiently and productively as possible with my groups and I don't think I have ever fallen into any of the roles mentioned in the article (Whiner, Martyr, Saboteur, Bully, or Deadbeat). But if I was predisposed to falling into one of the five categories it would probably be The Martyr. The Martyr ultimately gets the work done, even if he has a poor attitude and a weak backbone. Also, I like knowing that the work is of high quality, and I can assure that if I am doing the majority of the work. But I understand that this is not the most effective method for producing a well done project. In order for me to stay away from the role as The Martyr I need to trust in my teammates and keep a positive attitude. It is my responsibility to make sure my part of the project is completed, and not take on the tasks of another group member. And rather than excepting the burden of the added work, I will confront the other group members and insist they finish their assigned parts.

In my group for this class, I will try to adopt the role of team organizer. I will make a schedule of what work will be accomplished each day and try to make sure each task is finished so we are on pace to turn the project in on time. I will also be in charge of making sure everyone knows their team roles and is on top of their work. I believe it is very important to have someone in a group who can keep everything organized. It is necessary that the progress of a group is monitored closely, so that the team knows what they have done and how much they have left to do. The worst thing a group can do is to get down to the last couple days before the deadline and realize there is a lot more work left to be done.

For starters, the articles opening sentence, a summarized quote by Feud stating that "human groups bring out the best and worst of the species," defines groupwork to a tee. Groups have, and will continue to be, in existance in every day society. They are necessary, but not always the easiest. This article gives a list and description of the roles different members of the group tend to take on. Although they listed five options- I don't feel as if I completely fit into any of the catagories. If I had to choose one, I would probably say I am the Saboteur. I will go along with whatever the group says and never really complain- but if they give me a task, I tend to take it above and beyond. However, the above and beyond might not always be with their consent. I can honestly say that this has never gotten the group a lower grade, but it could happen. In order to prevent ever causing my group to recieve a lower grade, I will check with them before making any moves or taking any drastic measures. Even if the work I am doing is on my own, I will e-mail them just to see how they feel about my idea before doing it.

Every group needs respect, patience, and cooperation. My hardest factor in dealing with group work is how busy of a schedule I have- which is never fair to the group as a whole when trying to complete a project. I work six days a week and have classes and homework on top of that. (This would be the only way to consider me a whiner). However, for upcoming groupwork, I would like to look at a calender of when things will be do within that particular time span and set out a schedule of when we're going to meet and for approximately how long. That way, we will all know what we have to plan our daily schedules according to. I will be able to get off work, and it will be a lot less hassle if we aren't trying to juggle daily activities and group work at the same time.

For me, I often dread working on group projects. Over the years as a student, you learn that if you want a good grade, you often end up doing more work than one of your partners, just simply for your own benefit. I feel like I often take the role of organizing and assigning parts of the project to the other group members in order to make things more clear. Last year, I worked on a group project in which one of the girls was the "deadbeat." It was really frustrating, and the rest of the group members had to make up for her lack of effort. We ended up confronting the Professor about the situation, as it is not fair for someone to not contribute, and still receive the same high grade as the group members who worked hard. Also, with extra-curricular activities, there are often cases where you have to work in a group. Sometimes these situations are less motivating to get a task done if it isn't for a grade or a reward, so it can be difficult to get the work done. Of the five disruptive roles, I would say that I am probably predisposed to be the "whiner." I usually keep a busy schedule of activities and involvement, and I feel like this could make me tend to whine about the workload, or to focus on the negatives in the group work, instead of making positive changes. I will make sure in my group that I try to help get things organized initially so it wont be an extreme workload to complain about, and that way all of the group members will feel confident about the assignment. I will try to adopt organization as a positive group member role, as it will ease the stress of the assignment and help produce the best work.

In various group projects over the years, most of them have been well balance and everyone got their part done, but in a few group projects this is not the case. In dysfunctional groups, I have naturally fell into one of these paradigms of personality; and each time, it was based on whichever ones the other members fell into. I became the martyr or the bully when other group members are shy or passive about the project; however, I have been the whiner when others take control and push aside my input. Sometimes, I have noticed, when the group project takes place over a long period of time, say, over a couple of months instead of a few weeks, people switch roles. Their priorities change, which changes their input for the project and could cause a riff between groups members and have a domino effect of role switching. When I worked for my apartment complex, doing office work, this happened frequently; for instance when we had to communicate with every resident and their guarantor (co-signers) to push lease renewals for the next lease period. It was impossible to predict if anyone was doing their part--there was always a catalyst in their life that either allowed them operate at an optimum, or at a minimum, and a large part of this was each other.

A positive group needs to align with positive characteristics. One of these could be THE EMPATHIZER, a person who breaks the ice between members, knows the fine details of the project, and helps the other group members channel their most positive characteristics that the project needs to thrive. Everything is in the open that affects the project and the members are then the work can be distributed accordingly.